Tomato Nation » The Vine: March 13, 2008

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The Vine: March 13, 2008

Submitted by Sarah D. Bunting on March 13, 2008 – 11:50 AMNo Comment

Hi Sars,

It’s really kind of embarrassing that I have to ask this question — I go to an Ivy League university and while browsing the library page today I noticed the following:

“On this day… The Titanic sunk to the bottom of the North Atlantic Sea.” Um, shouldn’t that be “sank”?

Thanks,

Why Am I Here Again?

Dear Why,

According to Webster’s 11C, either “sank” or “sunk” is correct in the simple past. Garner disagrees: “sink > sank > sunk. So inflected. Occasionally the past participle ousts the simple-past form from its rightful place[.]” He goes on to give examples much like the one you have above.

I’m with Garner; on this day, the Titanic sank, and by this time on that day, the Titanic had already sunk. “Sank” for the simple past, “sunk” for all other tenses save the present.

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